Flushing arrangement for railway cars

ABSTRACT

A three-way valve is provided in a conduit (s) running from a pressure chamber in a railroad car allowing in one position the pressure in the pressure chamber to be transmitted through the conduit, and in another position high pressure gas may be applied through the conduit to remove contaminants and moisture therefrom and force the same back into the pressure chamber.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,836,203

Fossett Sept. 17, 1974 [5 1 FLUSHING ARRANGEMENT FOR 2,895,768 7/1959 Bray 302/28 x RAILWAY CARS 3,480,330 11/1969 Hirs et a1 302/28 3,525,363 8/1970 Gore 1 137/625.47 Inventor: Wallace Lee Fossett, Weldon 3,627,384 12/1971 Rollins... 302/53 Springs Heights, Mo. 3,709,256 1/1973 Gore 137/625.47

[73] Assignee: ACF Industries, Incorporated, New

York, NY Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant ExaminerW. Scott Carson [22] Fled: 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmHenry W. Cummings [21] Appl. No.: 326,424

[57] ABSTRACT A threeway valve is provided in a conduit (5) running from a pressure chamber in a railroad car allowing in one position the pressure in the pressure chamber to be transmitted through the conduit, and in another position high pressure gas may be applied throughthe [58] Field of Search 137/239, 625.47; 239/119; 302/53; 15/330 [56] References Clted conduit to remove contaminants and moisture there- UNITED STATES PATENTS from and force the same back into the pressure cham- 1,008,097 11/1911 Winnow 137/625.47 ber,

1,129,889 3/1915 Miller 137/625.47 2,548,957 4/1951 DiRosa 137/239 5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENIEDSEPIHBH 3.836.203

SHEEI 2 0F 2 S. ob \\\\\\\\\\Y\ FLUSHING ARRANGEMENT FOR RAILWAY CARS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,384 granted Dec. 14, 1971 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application is directed to a safety relief valve structure for a railway car having an enclosed shell which is subjected to internal pressure.

The present invention is directed to a safety relief valve structure for a railway car having an enclosed shell which is subjected to internal fluid pressure, especially for unloading particulate lading, such as cement or the like. A pilot operated safety relief valve is provided which has the pilot portion and all working parts of the valve completely sealed from the valve main inlet to the interior of the car. The safety valve has a fluid control chamber formed between a main diaphragm across the main inlet and a control diaphragm spaced from and generally parallel to the main diaphragm. A small pilot line which senses the pressure of the car is in fluid communication with the fluid control chamber to provide a pressure therein corresponding to that of the interior of the car. To prevent the pilot line from permitting the passage of particulate particles into the safety relief valve, a filter is placed within the pilot air line and comprises a filter element having a micron rating of between around and 25 microns with a filtration area of 50 to 100 square inches. Such a filter element insures that only lading particles smaller than that of the micron rating of the filter will pass into the valve. Micron ratings below 5 or microns which may pass through the valve should not affect the operation of the valve or result in particles clogging the valve. By utilizing a separate pilot line and a separate control diaphragm, a very effective reseating of the main diaphragm is provided. The valve may be set to be actuated upon an internal pressure of 6 psi, for example, being reached within the interior of the car, and will reseat itself when the pressure within the car is lowered to around 5 /2 or 5% psi. The main diaphragm valve has a minimum of chatter and has a seat which will not deteriorate from the friction of lading or valve chatter.

The entire disclosure of US. Pat. No. 3,627,384 is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings of said patent, the safety valve structure is indicated generally at 30. It has been found that this safety relief structure has not been entirely satisfactory. In handling certain fine ladings, for example, flour which is loaded hot, a portion of the lading and moisture can work its way into the safety valve structure in pilot line 36. There is a tendency for moisture to condense in the line 36, particularly when the temperature outside the car is low. Condensed water and a fine grain material, such as flour, can completely occlude a cross section of line 36. This may be thought of in terms of a mud-like structure even when the water from the mud-like structure evaporates, the remaining flour is similar to a casting and the result is that the safety relief valve 34 does not see the pressure of the car by virtue of inlet 40 in FIG. 3.

In particularly cold weather, the flour-moisture material may freeze making the problem even worse.

As will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 3 in said patent and the disclosure thereof, if the pressure in line 40 is not transmitted to the upper part of valve 34, the valve will continually vent through outlet 72, and it will not be possible to pressurize the car.

While it is true that filter 42 is designed to remove a considerable amount of the larger size flour material, the line 36 between inlet 38 and filter 42 provides a common place where the aforementioned condensation and occlusion problem occurs.

In the event that line 36 is so clogged and occluded that the car cannot be pressurized, the operator must climb up on the car and disassemble the safety valve structure 30 and remove the occluded material. This is a time consuming operation and is particularly unpleasant in bad weather when the line tends to be particularly occluded.

It therefore is the object of the present invention to solve this problem in a simple and economical manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore in accordance with the present invention, a valve structure is provided between filter 42 and safety valve 34 comprising a three-way valve anda quickconnect-disconnect coupling. Under normal circumstances, the three-way valve is such that line 36 and filter 42 are in communication with valve 34. However, at or near the end of loading or washing of the car and/or prior to pressurizing the car, a source of high pressure air is applied through quick connectdisconnect coupling to clean out any material or moisture in line 36, therefore avoiding any condensation or occlusion of line 36 prior to or during pressurization of the car and preferably also during transit. A similar three-way valve may also be provided in the line from the pressure chamber to the pressure gauge(s) to clean out such lines.

THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 and 1a are respectively sectional and schematic plan views of the safety structure of the present invention including the flushing valve arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the flushing valve assembly of the present invention in one position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the flushing valve arrangement of the present invention in another position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a railroad car which may utilize the flushing valve arrangement of the present invention as part of the safety vent system and also illustrating another application for the flushing valve arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of the use of the flushing valve assembly of the present invention in the pressure gauge lines of a railroad car;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along the lines 66 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the lines 7-7 in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A of the drawing, the safety relief valve structure described in US. Pat. No. 3,627,384 is indicated generally at 30, including an inlet to the car 38, a pilot bypass line 36, filter structure 42, which is described in detail in said patent, and a conduit 37 connecting filter 42 with safety relief valve 34.

Mounted within bypass line 36 and comprising an important part of this invention is a filter structure generally indicated 42. Filter structure 42 comprises a base 43 having an inlet 44 and an outlet 46. A removable housing 48 is threaded onto base 52 to permit a filter element or cartridge 54 to be removably positioned therein. Filter element 54 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a central bore 56 therethrough. Air and entrained lading enter inlet 44 from bypass line 36. The air flows through filter element 54 into the central bore 56 thereof and out through outlet 46 leaving any lading or foreign matter embedded with filter element 54. Thus, filter element 54 removes ladding from the air which enters the pilot line. Filter element 54 may preferably have a micron rating of between round and 25 with a filtration area of between around 50 and 100 square inches. Thus, particles down to 5 or microns in size will be entrapped in filter element 54. Lading particles smaller than 5 or 10 microns will pass through the filter structure 42 and will not affect the operation of safety valve 34 due to their small particle size. A relatively large filtration area is required to provide adequate life for the filter and to reduce the pressure drop of the fluid pressure moving through bypass line 36 to valve 34. If the pressure drop is too great, the sensitivity of valve 34 will be affected and might not reseat as fast as desirable. The filter element or cartridge may be of cotton, Dynel, polypropylene, Orlon, nylon, or glass fibers with a micron rating of between 5 and 25.

Safety relief valve 34 comprises a base 60 having inlet 32 threaded thereon and communicating with the interior of car 10. Valve seat 62 has a main diaphragm 64 seated thereon. Diaphragm 64 is normally urged into seated engagement on seat 62 by spring 66. Spring 66 is compressed between spring seat 68 carried by diaphragm 64 and a stud 70 on valve cover 71. Upon unseating of main diaphragm 64, vents 72 in base 60 permit the air and entrained lading to be vented to atmosphere.

A fluid control chamber 73 is provided between main diaphragm 64 and a pilot-controlled diaphragm 74. Control diaphragm 74 is clamped between valve cover 71 and a spring housing 76 by studs 78. A control spring 80 is biased between a lower valve seat 82 on control diaphragm 74 and an upper valve seat formed by an adjusting screw 84. Screw 84 may be manually adjusted to control the bias of spring 80. A lock nut 86 secures adjusting screw 84 in position. Air from bypass line 36 enters port 88 which is in fluid communication with control chamber 73 through port 90. Thus, fluid control chamber 73 is in fluid communication with the interior of car 10.

A lever 92 is pivoted at 94 to spring housing 76 and has one end 96 fitting on the upper end of spring seat 82. The upper end of a pilot valve 200 is contacted by the other end 98 of lever 92 at 202. A spring retainer 204 houses a pilot valve spring 106 and upon a downward movement of lever end 98, valve 200 is unseated to relieve the pressure within the fluid control chamber 73.

In operation, upon an internal pressure within the interior of car 10 being reached which exceeds 6 p.s.i., for example, main diaphragm 64 will be unseated to permit air and entrained lading to be vented or blown to atmosphere through vent ports 72. The pressure within fluid control chamber 73 is responsive to the internal pressure of car 10 through bypass valve line 36,

filter 42, port 88, and port 90. Valve 200 is unseated likewise at a pressure of 6 p.s.i. to vent chamber 73 to atmosphere. Upon a reduction in the internal pressure of car 10 to around 5 /2 p.s.i., for example, valve 200 will seat'thereby effecting a buildup of pressure within chamber 73 which will likewise effect a prompt seating of main diaphragm 64 on seat 62. Thus, a sensitive control for effecting a prompt seating of diaphragm 64 upon a reduction in pressure within car 10 is provided. A suitable valve 34 may be purchased commercially from the Micromat Company, Hillsdale, NJ.

In accordance with the present invention, mounted in line 37 between filter 42 and relief valve 34 is a flushing valve assembly indicated generally at 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, flushing assembly 100 comprises a valve 101 having indicated at 102 having mounted therein a rotating valve member 103. Housing 102 includes three fittings 104, 106 and 108. Conduit 37 is appropriately fixed to fitting 106 in a well-known manner such as with threads. Fitting 108 is affixed to a line 40 which is in communication with relief valve 34 as described in said patent. Fitting 104 is appropriately affixed, for example, with threads to a quick connect-disconnect coupling arrangement 105.

Under normal circumstances the valve 101 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 and the pressure applied through line 37 is applied to relief valve 34 in the same way as described in said US. patent.

However, near the end of the cleaning operation and /or prior to loading the car, valve 101 is moved into the position shown in FIG. 3 by rotation of head 107 (FIG. 1A) outside the valve, preferably with an appropriate tool. A high pressure hose, for example, from 20 200 psi, such as the common shop air hoses utilized to sweep the roof of the cars prior to shipping, is affixed to quick connect-disconnect coupling 105. As indicated at 110, for example, the hoses may be fitted with a standard male fitting to match with the standard female coupling 105. The high pressure air is then applied back through the line 37, filter 42, line 36 and back into the car at 38. This drives any condensed moisture or lading which may be in the system back into the car. If the high pressure air is applied near the end of washing, a greater clean-out is effected since any lading in the valve system 30 is removed. If the high pressure air is applied just before the car is to be pressurized', it insures that there is no lading and/or moisture in the valve system 30 which is likely to condense and occlude the lines 36, 37 or 40 and thus make relief valve 34 unable to see the pressure of the car and thus continually vent as described in said US. Pat. No. 3,627,384 patent. The valve 101 is a commercially available valve generally made of metal but could be made of plastic. The quick connect-disconnect coupling 105 is also a commerically available item generally made of metal but often made of plastic.

It will be seen that in a simple and inexpensive manner the problem of occluded moisture and lading buildup in the safety valve structure 30 has been solved, thus avoiding delays in loading and unloading cars in the unpleasant path of having to disassemble the valve structure 30 in very inclement weather.

Another application of the flushing valve assembly of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 4, the cars are generally provided with pressure gauges on the car, generally two are provided. The line for the pressure gauges is taken from the top portion of the car as indicated at 122. As shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing, the line 122 often is divided and one line 124 going to one pressure gauge 120 and another line 126 going to pressure gauge 121 is provided. Similar problems can occur from the lines 122, 124, and 126 to pressure gauges 120 and 121 that occur in the safety valve structure 30. Moisture and/or fine lading can work their way into the lines and condense and solidify, blocking off one or both of the pressure gauges. This problem can be avoided by inserting the assembly 100 as near to the pressure gauges as practical and again applying air to drive moisture and- /or lading back into the car during washing of the car and/or just prior to pressurizing the car. The problem of having to disassemble the pressure gauge line is thus substantially avoided. Furthermore, the unpleasant task of having to do this disassembly of the conduit structure in inclement weather is avoided.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car relief valve system, a safety relief valve having a main valve inlet communicating directly with the interior of a railway car having an enclosed shell adapted to be placed under internal fluid pressure, said relief valve being actuated upon a predetermined internal pressure being reached within the interior of the shell, said safety valve comprising a valve member normally biased across the main valve inlet and a fluid control chamber on the side of said valve member opposite said inlet, a separate pilot line from the fluid control chamber of said safety valve in fluid connection with the interior of the shell, filter means in said separate pilot line to minimize the passage of lading to the valve through the pilot line, a vent to atmosphere to relieve an excessive pressure within the interior of the shell upon unseating of the valve member, and means to control the fluid pressure within the fluid control chamber for effecting a promp reseating of said valve member after the excessive pressure has been vented to 6 atmosphere; the improvement comprising a flushing valve assembly in said separate pilot line between said filter means and said safety relief valve, said flushing valve assembly comprising:

a valve member pilot line in said conduit having a first position allowing a pilot line inlet portion to be in communication with a pilot line outlet portion; a quick connect-disconnect coupling affixed to said valve member; said valve member having a second position whereby said conduit is in communication with said quick connect-disconnect coupling and not in communication with said pilot line outlet portion; said quick connect-disconnect coupling having means thereon permitting engagement thereof with a source of high pressure gas;

said valve member comprising a housing having a movable member with openings in said movable member to allow communication respectively with said conduit outlet portion and with said quick connect-disconnect coupling; whereby said high pressure gas may be passed through said quick connect-disconnect coupling, through said valve member, through said pilot line inlet portion and into said enclosed shell to remove condensation products and lading said pilot line.

2. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 1 wherein said movable member is a rotatable member.

3. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 2 wherein said rotatable member is actuated by actuating means outside said valve housing.

4. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 3 wherein said actuating means is a head integral with said rotatable member.

5. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 3 wherein a source of high pressure air from 20 to 200 psi is connected to said quick connectdisconnect coupling. 

1. In a railway car relief valve system, a safety relief valve having a main valve inlet communicating directly with the interior of a railway car having an enclosed shell adapted to be placed under internal fluid pressure, sAid relief valve being actuated upon a predetermined internal pressure being reached within the interior of the shell, said safety valve comprising a valve member normally biased across the main valve inlet and a fluid control chamber on the side of said valve member opposite said inlet, a separate pilot line from the fluid control chamber of said safety valve in fluid connection with the interior of the shell, filter means in said separate pilot line to minimize the passage of lading to the valve through the pilot line, a vent to atmosphere to relieve an excessive pressure within the interior of the shell upon unseating of the valve member, and means to control the fluid pressure within the fluid control chamber for effecting a promp reseating of said valve member after the excessive pressure has been vented to atmosphere; the improvement comprising a flushing valve assembly in said separate pilot line between said filter means and said safety relief valve, said flushing valve assembly comprising: a valve member pilot line in said conduit having a first position allowing a pilot line inlet portion to be in communication with a pilot line outlet portion; a quick connect-disconnect coupling affixed to said valve member; said valve member having a second position whereby said conduit is in communication with said quick connect-disconnect coupling and not in communication with said pilot line outlet portion; said quick connect-disconnect coupling having means thereon permitting engagement thereof with a source of high pressure gas; said valve member comprising a housing having a movable member with openings in said movable member to allow communication respectively with said conduit outlet portion and with said quick connect-disconnect coupling; whereby said high pressure gas may be passed through said quick connect-disconnect coupling, through said valve member, through said pilot line inlet portion and into said enclosed shell to remove condensation products and lading said pilot line.
 2. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 1 wherein said movable member is a rotatable member.
 3. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 2 wherein said rotatable member is actuated by actuating means outside said valve housing.
 4. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 3 wherein said actuating means is a head integral with said rotatable member.
 5. A railway car relief valve system according to claim 3 wherein a source of high pressure air from 20 to 200 psi is connected to said quick connect-disconnect coupling. 